Seyum Mulugeta

The 'right to Life' of the Unborn Child: the Practice of Abortion for Rape and Incest Victims in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Seyum Mulugeta

In principle, Abortion is a criminal act in Ethiopia. Exceptionally for some specifically listed grounds legal abortion is allowed. But, the way this exceptions is interpreted in practice has caused a lot of problems on the protections available for the life of the unborn child. Thus, this book aims at examining and critically analyzing the abuse of abortion laws by many women?s in Addis Ababa. Hence, the protections available for the life of the unborn child and its enforcements under the FDRE Constitution and ordinary legislation's of the country will be analyzed from the practice of legal abortion for rape and incest victims in Addis Ababa. Accordingly, the writer argues that both international human rights law and Ethiopian law provide some level of protection for the life of the unborn child. There is also a duty on part of the government of Ethiopia to enforce such protections available for the life of the unborn child.